1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for winding a continuous length of fiber onto a spool and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for winding a continuous length of optical waveguide fiber onto first and second sections of a spool.
2. Description of the Related Art
A manufacturer of optical waveguide fiber (optical fiber) typically must dispense sections of optical fiber from a bulk spool, which contains a large amount of optical fiber, onto respective shipping spools, which are sent to customers. Both ends of the optical fiber on the shipping spool must be readily accessible for testing. Therefore, the manufacturer winds a first portion of the optical fiber onto a sample section of the shipping spool and winds the remainder of the optical fiber onto a separate, main section of the shipping spool. A conventional process for winding the optical fiber onto the sample and main sections of the shipping spool involves both manual and automatic winding steps. Specifically, at a manual winding station, an operator manually pulls a portion (typically ten meters) of the optical fiber from the bulk spool through a hole in a flange of the shipping spool and manually winds it onto the sample section of the shipping spool. The operator then transfers the shipping spool from the manual winding station to a winding apparatus, which automatically winds a desired amount of the optical fiber from the bulk spool onto the main section of the shipping spool. The operator subsequently severs the optical fiber extending between the shipping spool and the bulk spool.
The conventional process is time consuming and inefficient. For example, the manual pulling and winding steps occupy the operator's time, and the operator cannot perform the steps quickly. Furthermore, the tension in the manually-wound, optical fiber varies, and, if the operator winds the optical fiber onto the sample section too tightly, the optical fiber must be unwound and rewound. The need to transfer the shipping spool from the manual winding station to the winding apparatus further contributes to the time- consuming and inefficient nature of the conventional process.
Additionally, manual winding of the optical fiber on the sample section of the shipping spool may contribute significantly to injuries to the operator. Manual winding requires extension of the upper arm and continual rotation of the lower arm around the elbow. During a typical 12 hour shift, the operator will experience several hundred shoulder and elbow rotations per shift.